Gator great Larry Dupree dies at 71

University of Florida back Larry Dupree (35) drives for an eight-yard gain in the first quarter of the Gator Bowl Game in this Dec. 29, 1962 file photo, in Jacksonville. He was stopped by 3 men of the Penn State team.

Published: Monday, June 16, 2014 at 1:46 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, June 16, 2014 at 1:46 p.m.

Larry Dupree, one of the toughest running backs to play football at Florida, died. Dupree had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, but died of a heart attack in Macclenny. He was 71.

Dupree played for Florida from 1962-64, earning All-SEC honors three times and All-American honors as a senior. He rushed for 1,725 yards in his UF career. When The Sun released its list of the 100 greatest football players in Gator history, Dupree came in at No. 33.

He was also a member of the Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.

“He was a guy we had never seen before in terms of how he ran the ball and his toughness,” former UF teammate Allen Trammell said Monday. “He was very difficult to tackle. And he was a real team player. He was always about team.”

Dupree never missed a game at Florida despite knee problems in his senior year. But it was during the previous season that Dupree's toughness became legendary.

On the Thursday night before the Florida-Georgia game in 1963, Denise Dupree delivered the couple's first child stillborn. The next day, the team left for Jacksonville without its star running back.

“I sat up with him,” Trammell said. “I called one of the assistants and told him I was going to miss curfew because I was with Dupree. We were very close, maybe because we were both old country boys.

“He was devastated, pacing the floor back and forth because he loved his wife so much.”

On Saturday, Dupree decided with his wife's blessing to go to Jacksonville. Captain Eldridge Beach of the Florida Highway Patrol, Denise's father, had arranged for a police escort to Jacksonville.

Dupree arrived a couple of hours before the game.

“It was very emotional,” Trammell recalled. “Everybody was giving him big hugs. We knew how tough it was for him. And then he went out and had a great game.”

Florida coach Ray Graves told his team that, “If you guys don't want to play today, you never will.”

Dupree scored one touchdown from four yards out and broke another 70-yarder that was called back to the Georgia 40 because he stepped out of bounds. Florida beat Georgia 21-14 that day in Jacksonville as Dupree had 74 rushing yards and 34 receiving on his only catch.

As a senior, Dupree was the team captain and a teammate of a sophomore quarterback who would go on to win a Heisman Trophy two years later.

“He was a very quiet guy,” Steve Spurrier said. “He was really fast and tough. He was a good, good tailback.

“It makes you count your blessings when some of your old teammates pass away.”

<p>Toughness took a hit on Sunday.</p><p>Larry Dupree, one of the toughest running backs to play football at Florida, died. Dupree had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, but died of a heart attack in Macclenny. He was 71.</p><p> Dupree played for Florida from 1962-64, earning All-SEC honors three times and All-American honors as a senior. He rushed for 1,725 yards in his UF career. When The Sun released its list of the 100 greatest football players in Gator history, Dupree came in at No. 33.</p><p>He was also a member of the Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.</p><p>“He was a guy we had never seen before in terms of how he ran the ball and his toughness,” former UF teammate Allen Trammell said Monday. “He was very difficult to tackle. And he was a real team player. He was always about team.”</p><p>Dupree never missed a game at Florida despite knee problems in his senior year. But it was during the previous season that Dupree's toughness became legendary.</p><p>On the Thursday night before the Florida-Georgia game in 1963, Denise Dupree delivered the couple's first child stillborn. The next day, the team left for Jacksonville without its star running back.</p><p>“I sat up with him,” Trammell said. “I called one of the assistants and told him I was going to miss curfew because I was with Dupree. We were very close, maybe because we were both old country boys.</p><p>“He was devastated, pacing the floor back and forth because he loved his wife so much.”</p><p>On Saturday, Dupree decided with his wife's blessing to go to Jacksonville. Captain Eldridge Beach of the Florida Highway Patrol, Denise's father, had arranged for a police escort to Jacksonville. </p><p>Dupree arrived a couple of hours before the game.</p><p>“It was very emotional,” Trammell recalled. “Everybody was giving him big hugs. We knew how tough it was for him. And then he went out and had a great game.”</p><p>Florida coach Ray Graves told his team that, “If you guys don't want to play today, you never will.”</p><p>Dupree scored one touchdown from four yards out and broke another 70-yarder that was called back to the Georgia 40 because he stepped out of bounds. Florida beat Georgia 21-14 that day in Jacksonville as Dupree had 74 rushing yards and 34 receiving on his only catch.</p><p>As a senior, Dupree was the team captain and a teammate of a sophomore quarterback who would go on to win a Heisman Trophy two years later.</p><p>“He was a very quiet guy,” Steve Spurrier said. “He was really fast and tough. He was a good, good tailback.</p><p>“It makes you count your blessings when some of your old teammates pass away.”</p>